Apple Stores trial extended eligibility periods for AppleCare+

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AppleCare
79 Apple Stores are part of the pilot.
Photo: Apple

Some Apple Stores in the U.S. and Canada are trialling extended eligibility periods for AppleCare+, according to a new report.

The trial, which started this week, allows Apple’s extended warranty plan to be purchased beyond the usual 60-day window. But devices must be inspected by the Genius Bar first.

AppleCare+ is a great way to protect the pricey hardware you rely on every day. It not only extends your warranty to two or three years, but it also covers two incidents of accidental damage.

The problem with AppleCare+ is that if you forget to buy it within 60 days of purchasing a new Apple device, you are no longer eligible for extended coverage. But that could change.

AppleCare+ gets extended eligibility window

MacRumors, citing sources familiar with the matter, reports that Apple is piloting extended eligibility windows for AppleCare+ in a small number of stores in the U.S. and Canada.

The pilot allows AppleCare+ to be applied between 61 days and one year of a device’s original purchase date. The extended period was initially up to two years, but later got cut in half.

There are some extra steps you’ll need to go through to take advantage of this pilot, however.

“A customer must book a Genius Bar appointment, during which a technician will run diagnostics on the device and perform a visual inspection to confirm eligibility,” the report explains.

That seems like a fair deal to us. After all, Apple has to reduce the likelihood of people breaking their devices, then buying AppleCare+ just to get a cheap replacement.

79 Apple Stores on board

It is believe the trial is being carried out in 50 Apple Stores across the U.S., and another 29 in Canada. It applies to iPhone for certain, and “likely” applies to iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and others as well.

It’s not clear whether this will become a permanent deal that rolls out everywhere. Apple could decide to scrap the whole thing altogether at a later date.

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